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West Lebanon commissioners consider school district swap

The West Lebanon Township Board of Commissioners is looking into the possibility of moving the township from Lebanon School District to Cornwall Lebanon School District, a change that would reduce property taxes for a majority of the township’s prope

West Lebanon Township students may be changing their school colors from red and blue to blue and grey.

The West Lebanon Township Board of Commissioners is exploring the possibility of petitioning the state to move the township from Lebanon School District to Cornwall Lebanon School District, a change that would reduce property taxes for a majority of its property owners.

After being approached about the idea by a citizen's group several months ago, the supportive board appointed a five-member committee in April to look into the issue, said solicitor Scott Feaman. The committee includes three township residents and supervisors Phylis Dryden and Daniel Brandt.

The lengthy process of changing school districts will begin with obtaining the signatures of more than half of the owners of the township’s 340 properties, said solicitor Scot Feeman.

A petition effort had been initiated by the citizen's group, but the commissioners on Monday night opted to create an official petition that will highlight the advantages of switching districts.

“We are at the initial stages of the process,” Feeman said on Tuesday. “The board has certainly accepted what the residents’ group has indicated they want. And we are forming a petition to be circulated among the residents to determine if a majority of residents want to make that shift.”

Michelle Firestone has been spearheading the effort to switch school districts and, along with Marlin Martin and Ashley Fisher, is one of the three township residents appointed to the five-member committee. Firestone told the supervisors Monday night that her research shows Cedar Crest High School outperforms Lebanon High School in several categories.

“I looked at drop-out rates, safety concerns, test concerns. There wasn’t a single area where Cedar Crest High School did not beat out Lebanon High,” she said.

“We are just trying to gauge what residents want at this point. If they want to shift, obviously a dialogue would have to open up not only with Lebanon but also Cornwall Lebanon to effectuate a smooth transition.””

West Lebanon Township solicitor Scot Feeman

Because Lebanon School District’s millage rate is almost five miles higher than Cornwall-Lebanon School District's (19.3 vs. 14.3512), a majority of West Lebanon residents would see a drop in their property taxes.

For instance, the owner of a home assessed at the township’s average value of $95,500 would pay $1,424 in the Lebanon School District compared to $1,248 in Cornwall-Lebanon, a difference of $176. Both totals include the Homestead Exemption, a rebate paid to eligible homeowners from the state’s gaming proceeds, which is $419 in Lebanon School District and $122 in Cornwall-Lebanon.

Residents in homes valued at fewer than $60,000, about 13 percent of the township, however, would see their property taxes increase because of losing the larger Homestead Exemption..

Should a majority of taxpaying residents support the switch, there is no guarantee it will be approved. A change would also require Cornwall-Lebanon School District agreeing to accept an estimated 130 students from West Lebanon Township.

Neither district has been approached, Feeman said.

“At this point, we are just looking into it,” he said. “I haven’t been authorized to speak to either the Lebanon School District or Cornwall Lebanon School District. We are just trying to gauge what residents want at this point. If they want to shift, obviously a dialogue would have to open up not only with Lebanon, but also Cornwall Lebanon to effectuate a smooth transition.”

Cornwall-Lebanon School District Superintendent Philip Domencic said it was premature to comment because the district has received no official word from the township.

Lebanon school Superintendent Marianne Bartley was at a conference and unavailable for comment.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education must also sign off on the transfer or it will not happen. Historically, the secretary of education evaluates the merit of changing school districts by determining the educational impact on all the students involved, including those from the district gaining territory and those losing territory, said press secretary Nicole Reigelman.

Should the state Department of Education approve the transition, the process would then move to the Pennsylvania State Board of Education, which would invite public comment before making a final determination.

A quick resolution is unlikely. In York County, an effort began in 2012 to move students in Washington Township from Dover Area School District to Northern York School District is still unresolved, awaiting a Commonwealth Court ruling on an appeal of the State Board of Education's rejection of the petition.